Top Ten Websites

1. http://www.atomiclearning.com/home
AtomicLearning.com - this site gives tutorials for almost any computer progrm. Very handy if you get a new one or an upgrade, or your students haven't used it before.

2. http://www.careersafeonline.com/
CareerSafeOnline.com - a great way to take safet tests for industrial arts classes. It even certifies students with OSHA!

3. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/
Eyewitness History - this website has collecte first-person accounts of historic evnts all the way back to Ancient Greece. It describes the event, then gives the first-hand account. It also cites its sources, so students can go check out the original.

4. http://www.extremescience.com/index.html
Extreme Science - a really neat website detailig the "biggest, baddest, and the best" of extremes in Mother Nature. Includes an Earth Science section and an Animal Kingdom section.

5. http://education.nasa.gov/home/index.html
NASA Education - lots of relly neat resources for students and teachers.

6. http://inventors.about.com/library/bl/bl12.htm
About.com - gives information on inventions. very useful for projects.

7. http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/
Education Place Outline Maps - can get outline maps without the names and even historical maps. Great idea for assignments.

8. http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/previous.htm
the History Place Great Speeches - contains copy of great speeches delivered during times of great for America and the world. Great for studying American history.

9. http://www.academicsuperstore.com/
Academic Superstore - Really cheap software for teachers and students. Who doesn't want cheap software?

10. http://www.juliantrubin.com/fairprojects.html
Science Fair Projects - not just for students! Great ideas for classroom experiments.

ALTEC Reflection

I shared the ALTEC resources with John Bogner, high school teacher, and he agreed with me that the most useful link was the www.4teachers.org. He only liked the Teacher's Tackle box option though, because you could find things that related to your content, although areas like industrial arts are left out.
I didn't really like anything that ALTEC had to offer, but only because I'll be teaching at the secondary age level. Almost everything on the site was geared towards subjects where you need a lot of worksheets and papers, or towards younger ages. I do think a lot of the options would be great if I were teaching elementary

Wow

I think my WOW moment came when I looked at all the information literacy questions for the quiz. I usually consider myself pretty tech-savvy, but I realized then that I'm really behind! I think that since our students are going to be exposed to this everyday, we should at least know what they're going to be dealing with. I think the November Learning site will be very helpful in teaching students how to investigate sites and see if they're really credible or not.

More Articles to Reflect on

U.S. schools lag behind in use of technology

This article doesn’t show anything that most teachers don’t know nowadays. We all know that our students are more familiar with today’s technology than we are. We know this. I think that as teachers, we should ask our students about the technologies that they’re using. Then we could learn about them ourselves, and hopefully implement them and use them to help our students learn their subject matter.

National Education Technology Plan

I think this is a pretty good plan, and I like where most of it is heading, but I’m not sure f I like the idea of online course materials for every subject. I really don’t like reading stuff off a computer; it makes my head hurt. I prefer printed materials. I often will print out assignments and read them that way for this class! I also like it better so that I can organize my thoughts and the assignments easily and quickly. I think it would be a good idea for subjects that change quickly, like communication, technology, science, and the like. I think that subjects like math, English, and subjects like that do no need to go digital. It would be much easier to teach them with regular texts.

Highschool.com

I think that this article shows where education is going. I think that we, as teachers, need to realize that we’re going to be doing online work. Lots of it. We may as well get used to working there. I also think that it’s a good idea. I, myself, cannot stand to sit in a class and be talked at and taught something I already know. I actually do worse in those classes than my higher level classes. For example, I received a D in a Mod. World Civ. (a VERY easy class) course because of my attendance. The professor pulled me aside and told me that I scored A’s on ll the tests, aced every quiz, participated intelligently in all discussions and that I knew the material, but she still gave a D. Why? Because I couldn’t stand to sit and listen to her lecture to the dumbest kids’ level. I really don’t like learning at a slow pace. It drives me crazy. I think the virtual classes will allow students to work at their own speed, and actually get something from the class, besides a good nap time.

Articles to Reflect upon for TECS 290

Laptops replace textbooks in Louisiana district

I think this is an excellent idea. Although I learned with pencil and paper, and I still think there’s a place for it, I think 1 to 1 initiatives are super. Give kids access to that much information, and there’s no telling what you’ll get! Kids are awesome with technology and they enjoy working with it more than they do paper and books, so why not let them learn the way they want.

Imagine how nice this would be for teachers, too. It’s easier to get assignments to kids, especially if they’re sick, and it’s easier to get assignments. No more “I forgot it in my locker, or at home, or in my other folder.” It’s due and it’s online! So much simpler! Students will also do better with the directions right in front of them. I like it in my own classes. If a teacher gives directions to do an assignment, I have to write it down or I’ll forget. It helps so much to have assignments online.


Video helps overhaul district's curriculum

I’ve actually never heard of this technology, and I was surprised to know hat it existed. It’s a very good idea. I think it would work especially well in history and science classes. Imagine being able to take students on a tour of the world’s major volcanoes during that unit. Or immerse them in the Dust Bowl. Students would get a kick out of that, leading them to be more engaged and more willing to learn.

I think that this is such a neat idea. I’m definitely going to research more about it!

The Marshal Of MySpace

I’ve never had any experience with MySpace, so I have no idea how it works, but all I’ve ever heard about it is bad. In Johnson County, a boy actually killed himself because hi classmates started a page called “Gay Hate,” in which they bullied and harassed him online. He was the object of their hate – they even posted a picture of him online, just so other kids would know who he was and could ridicule him in person. He killed himself after switching schools, because the site continued at his new school.

Is their anything good about the site? I’ve only heard bad news. Now this article where they’re spending time and money trying to catch offenders. Why not just close it down and start over, with better security?

If wired right, computers do belong in classrooms

I agree that classrooms need more sophisticated software, but I also think that the programs they have aren’t bad. Apparently they’re doing something or the teachers wouldn’t be using them. I think that students appreciate the software, because it’s a change from boringness. It’s a new experience for them.

first post

This is my first attempt ever at a blog. I'm just trying to see what it does and looks like, so please be patient with me while I experiment. Thanks!